Railway
FG unfolds new security measures for Abuja-Kaduna rail corridor
The Federal Government has announced new measures to guarantee maximum security along the Abuja-Kaduna railway corridor.
Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, disclosed this, adding that the FG would implement far-reaching security strategies to ensure the safety of passengers, personnel and assets along the rail line and other rail corridors in the country.
He said this at a meeting with members of the Nigerian Union of Railway Workers in Abuja on Saturday.
The minister said part of the strategies to be adopted would be a 24/7 online real-time monitoring of the Abuja-Kaduna rail corridor.
He said a command centre would be set up for the Abuja-Kaduna rail corridor to monitor the movement of the train.
According to him, a monitoring device will be installed on the train which will enable the train captain to view the rail track up to two kilometres ahead.
Sambo said strategies had been put in place to ensure adequate screening and identification of passengers on board the train.
This, he said, became necessary to prevent certain categories of passengers from gaining entry into the train.
In this regard, the minister said, “To buy a ticket, a passenger would be required to present his National Identification Number (NIN). After ticket purchase, before gaining entrance to the lounge, the passenger would be required to place his ticket on a validator which would display information about the passenger, including his picture. The passenger would only be allowed to board the train after necessary validation and authentication.
“There will be going to be armed uniform and plain clothes security operatives onboard the train. Trained police personnel would also be stationed at all the stations along the Abuja-Kaduna corridor. A response team would also be put in place, some of whom would be on motorbikes, some in land rovers.”
The minister expressed optimism that the proposed security plan would be approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in the coming week.
“The proposal was earlier taken to the FEC, but the Council had asked for more clarification and clearance from NITDA. It will be represented having gotten the necessary clarifications and clearance”, he said.
Responding to the requests by the Railways Workers Association, the minister promised to look into the issue of the condition of service and also push for the implementation of salary enhancement for the railway workers.
The minister directed that a nine-man committee be set up to deliberate on the issue of monetization of staff quarters and come up with acceptable and implementable recommendations.
Speaking earlier, the President of the Nigerian Union of Railway Workers, Comrade Innocent Ajiji requested the minister to intervene and help find lasting solutions to some problems being faced by members of the Association.
He enumerated the problems to include the incessant attacks on the trains, poor condition of service of railway workers, poor remuneration and the monetization of staff quarters.
Railway
Nigerian Railway Corporation suspends Warri-Itakpe train after derailment
Nigerian Railway Corporation suspends Warri-Itakpe train after derailment
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced the suspension of its train services from Warri in Delta State to Itakpe in Kogi State, starting from Friday, July 5th.
The suspension is due to an obstruction on the track, according to the NRC.
This is contained in a notice sent to customers titled “Public Announcement” on Friday, saying that the agency would likely resume operations on Monday, July 8, 2024.
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It read, “This is to officially notify our esteemed passengers that Warri-Itakpe Train will not run today being Friday, 5th July 2024 due to the obstruction we have on our track.
“We shall resume our normal train services on Monday 8th July 2024. Passengers who already booked their tickets online will be refunded.”
“All inconveniences is highly regretted. Thank you,” the statement added.
The train reportedly derailed on Thursday, July 4 at about 7.15pm.
A passenger on the train said it wobbled along its track at several locations and derailed.
It was however learnt that the NRC team was working to fix the problem.
Nigerian Railway Corporation suspends Warri-Itakpe train after derailment
Railway
NRC cancels first Abuja-Kaduna Thursday train after Wednesday derailment
NRC cancels first Abuja-Kaduna Thursday train after Wednesday derailment
…says vandals responsible
Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has cancelled its first Abuja-Kaduna Thursday train (today) scheduled to move by 8am after it experienced a derailment on the route on Wednesday.
It announced this on Wednesday evening in a statement issued by its Deputy Director of the Public Relations Department, Yakub Mahmood, while giving an update on the derailment.
The Abuja-Kaduna train AK3 had reportedly derailed at the Asham Railway Station about 30 minutes after leaving Kubwa, Abuja.
Mahmood said, “For operational reasons, the first train from Kaduna (Rigasa) scheduled for 08.00 hours will be cancelled on Thursday 6th June, 2024 only, while all other train services will run as scheduled.
“NRC management deeply regrets the inconveniences that this technical hitch might have caused our esteemed passengers.”
The derailment on Wednesday, according to Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Bimbo Olawumi, occurred at 3:52pm, shortly after the passenger train departed the Kubwa station, Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Mahmood in his statement said, “The passengers on board were safely returned to Abuja (Idu).”
He added that the tickets of passengers who could not use the train would remain valid for a subsequent journey within two weeks.
The NRC spokesman said, “This minor hitch is attributed to the removal of track fastening clips by vandals.
“However, the NRC management remains resolute towards ensuring the safety of our valued passengers in the entire system.”
Railway
Apprehension as passengers train derails in Kaduna
JUST-IN: Abuja-Kaduna train terails, passengers stranded
A passenger train on Sunday derailed at Jere along the popular Abuja-Kaduna route, leaving the travellers stranded in the mountainous area.
The train was said to have left Kaduna at 8.05am heading for Abuja but developed fault about an hour later and stopped at Jere.
It was not immediately clear how many passengers were inside the train.
It was however learnt that more armed security personnel had been mobilised to the area in addition to those on the train to allay the fears of the passengers and their family members.
Senator Shehu Sani, in an alert raised on his verified X handle, stated, “A Kaduna morning train derails near Jere but engineers are attending to it.”
Workers of the Nigerian Railway Corporation have been drafted to the spot to repair the train, with about three carriages off the tracks.
Security personnel, including soldiers and police officers, are also on the spoke to keep watch over the passengers and the train.
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